Packaging machine



Sept. 20,1927. ,887

H. MULLENDORE PACKAGING MACHINE IN VEN TOR. Mullen (1 BY PM MJLZ;

ATTORNEY PACKAGING MAQHINE Se t. 20, 1927.

Filed June 1. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet s I INVENTOR.

' I -Hand;

A TTORNEY.

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vational view of Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

UNITE!) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY 'MULLENDOR-E, OF FOB/l WAYNE,

ENDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO PERFECTION BISCUIT COMPANY, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA,A CORPORATION.

PACKAGING MACHINE.

Application filed. June 1, 192 Serial in). 112,764.

The invention relates to machines for packaging articles and it isespecially directed to machines designed to package crackers, cakes,cookies and other articles of food as Well as many other articles orcommodities. v

The object of the invention is toprovide a novel .machine by which toautomatically insert various articles into containers, economically andefficiently. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

TheIinvent-ion consists of an endless series of movable receptacles forthe I articles, means to convey the empty containers to the machine,means to move the containers successively into and out of register witha receptacle, means to eject the articles from the receptacle into thecontainer, and means to convey the filled containers from the machine.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a. machine embodying, theinvent-ion; Fig. 2 a side elethe same; Fig. 8 an end elevational view ofthe same; Fig. 41 a cross-v sectional view on line 4.4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5a plan view of a fraction of the ejector pusher; Fig. 6 an end View ofthe deylces shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 a side elevatio-nal view of thelower flap opener; Fig. 8 a rear elevational view of the said opener;Fig. 9 a side elevational view of the container support and latch; Fig.10 a plan view of the same; Fig. 11 a side view of the actuating memberof the upper flap opening member, and Fig. 12 a detail view of thereduction gears driven by the main shaft.

In the illustrative embodiment of the in; vention, 1 is the main frameof the machine formed of side members 2 and cross members 3 suitably-tied or formed together. The mechanism is entirely supported on thisframe so that the machine -may be portable or fixed.

Preferably the machine is driven by an electric motor 1 suitably mountedon the main frame. A belt '5 is engaged on the pulley 6 secured to themotor shaft, andthe belt is also engaged on the pulley 7, of suit ableratio, loosely mounted on the main shaft 8. H p j j A gear 9 (Figs.-1, 3and 12) is secured to orintegral withthe'pulley 7 and meshes with a gear10 loosely mounted onaspindle 11, A pinion 10 integral, with or securedtoft he gear 10, meshes with a gear 12 secured to the shaft 13. Theratioof the said'train of gears is predetermined so as to cause the pulley 7to drive the shaft 13 at a. selected speed. A sprocket chain 14 engagesa sprocket 13 secured to the shaft 13 and a sprocket secured to theshaft 8 for driving saidshaft 8 at the selected speed.

A sprocket 8 on the shaft 8 drives,;by means of the chain 15, a sprocket16 secured to the shaft 17. This shaft 17 projects laterally from themain frame and its outer end is borne by the bearing 18'formed on theframe member 19. A pulley 20 is secured to the shaft 17, and an endlessbelt 21 is mounted upon the pulley and upon an idler pulley 22adjustably mounted on the frame 28 mounted on the front side of the mainframe. This belt, by the rotation of the shaft 17, is caused to travelin the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) and carries the empty cartons orcontainers to the elevating mechanism about to be described. The emptycartons or containers are deposited upon the belt in any suitablemanner, as by hand. In Fig. 4, I illustrate a rectangular carton G, suchbeing in common use for the storage of crackers, cookies and variousother commodities.

Below the, conveyer belt 21 and between it and the main frame 1 isanother conveyor belt 24 that issupported similarly to the belt 21 andis driven by a .pulley25 secured to a count-ershaft-26 supported on themainframe and the frame member 19. A crossed belt 27 is engaged on apulley :28 secured on this shaft 26 and to a pulley 29 secured on theshaft 17 The crossed belt causes the belt 24 to travel in a directionopposite to that of the belt 2.1 and said belt is adapted to remove theifilled cartons .or containers.

Two bars 30 project from the end of the main frame at the top thereofand are braced at their outer ends by the rods 31. lGuards 32are securedto these bars30 and to the main frame and they projectupwardlytherefrom. A shaft 33 is revolubly supported in the outer endsof thebars30 and upon it are attached two sprockets '34 and 35.' At 'he oppositeend of the main frame is another revoluble shaft 36 supporting twosprockets 37 and 38. The' chains 39 and 40 connect the alined sprockets34 and 37, and and 88 respectively. A third shaft 41 is suitablyrevolubly mounted on the main frame and carries the sprockets 42, uponwhich the chains 39 and engage. Open ended pans 43 are attached to bothchains 89 and 40 in suitable manner so that when the chains are moved inthe direction of the ar row (Fig. 2) the pans will follow the curvatureof the sprocket wheels and not crowd each other. When the pans aretravelling in upright position the guards close the open ends of thepans and it is while the pans are between the guards that the materialor commodity to be packaged is depos ited therein. The shaft 36 isdriven by a sprocket 44 (Fig. 1), chain 45 and sprocket 46 secured tothe shaft 47. 'Two gears 48 are secured to the shaft 47 and segmentgears 49, secured to' a shaft 50, are adapted to mesh with the gears 48at intervals so as to drive the commodity carrier intermittently asufficient distance to move the pans to the selected dischargingposition successively. The shaft 50 is continuouslydriven by a'sprocketwheel 51 thereon, the chain .52 and the sprocket wheel 53 secured to theshaft 13.

A bevel gear 54 is secured to the shaft 8 and meshes with a gear 55secured to a shaft 56. A sprocket wheel 57 is secured to the shaft 56and a chain 58 is engaged on this wheel 57 and upon a sprocket wheel 59secured. to a shaft 60. A chain 61 engages a sprocket Wheel 62 securedto the shaft and it also engages a sprocket wheel 63 secured to a shaft64. A cam (Fig. 4) is secured to the shaft 64 and is adapted to engage alug formed on or secured to the outer face of a flexible wall 66suitably suspended above the belt carrier 24.

i This wall 66 cooperates with the fixed wall 67 to form a guiding chutefor the filled cartons or packages in their descent upon the carrier 24,the flexible wall being intermittently flexed toward the wall 67 by thecam 65 as each carton descends in order to break the fall'of the packageand avoid injury to the contents thereof.

Above the chute formed by the walls 66 and 67 is a tray or carrier 68adapted to receive and support a carton. The outer side and upper andlower ends of the carrier are open and at the lower end of one sidethereof is a pivoted latch 111 engaged by a cam 110 (hereafter referredto) by which the latch is rocked intermittently to cause the free armthereof to project inwardly for supporting the carton that is within thecarrier, the I cam rocking the latchat the proper time to release thefilled carton. At the forward edge of each side member of the carrier isa spring plate 68* carrying a dog 68 The dogs give outwardly when acarton is pushed against them, and after the carton'has passed them theyprevent the carton from tilting forwardly in the carrier. This carrieris mounted upon an arm 69 that is mounted on a shaft 70, (Fig. 4).

A roller71 is mounted on the arm 69 anc rides on the periphery of a cam72 secured to the shaft 56. As the cam is rotated in the direction ofthe arrow (Fig. 4), the arm. is caused to rock upwardly raising thecarrier 68. The arm 69 is properly curved to move the carrier to a,horizontal position and in horizontal alinement with the pans 43 as theysuccessively come to rest just beyond the end of the guards 32.

In order that the cartons may be successivelymoved off the carrier 21into the elevating carrier 68, I provide a pusher plate 73 and secure itto a bar 74 that is longitudinally movable between two rollers 75mounted on the frame member 76. The opposite end of the bar is pivotedto an arm 77 (Fig. 4) that is suitably pivoted at 78.

A pin 79 on the arm 77 engages in the slot:

of a cam 80 secured to a shaft '81 that is chain driven by the shaft 56.

As shown in Fig. 4, the upper end of the flexible wall 66 is extendedlaterally under the carrier 21. This lateral extension forms a surfaceupon which the cartons slide successively under the influence of thepusher plate;

The contents of the pans 43 are ejected into the cartons or receptaclesby a plate 83 that is pivoted to one end. of a link 84. The opposite endof the link is pivoted to a lever 85 that is pivoted at its lower end toa bracket- 86. A link 87 is also pivoted to the lever 85 and to a crank88 secured to a shaft 89 that is driven by a shaft 90 and gearing 91(Fig. 5). An arm 92 is secured to the shaft 90 and is engaged in theslot of a cam 93 .securedto shaft 13. This cam slot is so formed thatthe ejector plate 83 will be reciprocated inwardly at the proper timeand then withdrawn.

W'here paper board cartons are used it is necessary to turn out theflaps at the open end so that the materials may be deposited into thecartons by the ejector plate 83. To accomplish this, I reciprocablymount a tapered plunger 94 upon an upwardly inclined frame 95 adjacentto the point at which an elevated carton will cometo rest, the normalposition of the plunger being above and forwardly of the open orunelosed end of the carton as shown in Fig. 2. The downward movement ofthe plunger forces the end flaps of the carton outwardly and the topflap up wardly. To operate this plunger intermittently, I pivot a lever96 to the stem 94 of the plunger and pivot the lever to the frame 95 at96*. A spring 97 is connected to the 9% an 9 th rame to oppose the downxvii-a ncrement or the plunger. A rod 98 is recipiocaibly mounted on theframe and adapted to abut'the lever 96 and rock it to lower the plunger.The lower end of the rod 98 carries a roller 99, Fig.- 11, that ridesupona cam 100 secured to the shaft 60. The cam is properly formed toraise the rod 98 at the proper time and then release it so that thespring 97 will retract the plunger and return the rod 98. a

The lower flap at the open end of the carton is pulled down by a member101 having a lip 101 at its upper end normally projecting into the pathof the moving carton. hen the member is reciprocated downwa-rdly itdraws the flap with it as shown in Fig. 4. The lower end of this member101 is suitably formed to ride on a cam 102 secured to a shaft 103' thatis driven, through the sprocket chain 104, by the main shaft 8.

A spur gear 105 on the shaft 103 meshes with a spur gear 106 on a shaft107, which shaft 107 drives a shaft 108 by means of the sprocket chain109 (Fig. 1). The cam 110 is secured to the shaft 108 and is adapted totrip thelatch 111 as described above to release afilled carton, the cam65 causing the flexible side of the chute to retard the descent of thecarton and finally releasing the said side so that the carton dropsgently upon the carrier 24.

The cam 72 (Fig. 1) is of a proper form to raise the arm 69 and cartonelevator at the proper time, hold the elevator in horizontal positionwhile the materials are deposited in the carton, then lower the elevatorwith the filled carton and maintain the elevator in proper position todischarge the filled carton, and to receive an empty carton.

An outward extension 7 3 on the pusher plate 7 3 projects across thecarrier 21 when the plate has been moved inwardly, and said extensionforms a stop to hold back the empty cartons on the carrier while theplunger is in operation.

The conveyer pans 43 will be formed to contain the quantity of materialsthat the cartons are designed to contain, so that, by filling each panas it travels in a horizontal plane toward the ejector mechanism, thecontents thereof will be contained in a carton. The feed to the pans maybe varied as desired in accordance with the size of the carton.

What I claim is:

1. In a packaging machine the combination of an intermittently drivenconveyer adapted to carry the materials to be packed, a carrier adaptedto be moved intermittently into the horizontal plane of the conveyer,means to convey an empty container into the carrier, means to eject thematerials from the conveyer into the carried container and means toconvey the filled container from the carrier.

a pzickaging machine the combination of conveyer i'n'cluding a series ofre- "tacles :ada jte'd to ca y the materials to be packed, a swingingcarrier, means to de-' liver containers in succession to the carrierwlie'n the 'cii'rier in normal position, means to inove th'c' carrierwith a containertherein into opposition with one of the receptacles,means to eject the materials from said receptacle into the container andmeans to convey the filled container from the carrier upon the return ofthe carrier to normal position.

3. In a packaging machine the combination of a main frame, anintermittently driven conveyer mounted on the frame and including aseries of receptacles for the materials to be packed, a pivoted carrieron the frame normally disposed below the conve ier and adapted to beswung into horizontal alinement with the receptacles and in oppositiontherewith, means on therframe to convey empty containers toward thecarrier, means to move the containers successively into the carrier,releasable means .on the carrier to support the container therein andadapted when released to permit the filled container to move by gravityfrom the carrier, a reciprocable member on the frame to eject thematerials from one of the receptacles into a container in the elevatedposition thereof and means on the frame to convey the filled receptaclesupon their descent from the carrier.

4. In a packaging machine the combination of a main frame, anintermittently driven endless 'conveyer mounted on the frame andincluding a series of receptacles for the materials to be packed, acarrier pivoted at one side of and below the conveyer and adapted to beswung intermittently' from a vertical position to a horizontal positionin opposition with the receptacles successively, means to convey emptycontainers toward the carrier, a reciprocable push member to move thecontainers into a carrier successively when the carrier is in a verticalposition, means to open the mouth of the container when moved upwardlyby the carrier, means to move the materials from the receptacles intothe containers successively when the same are in opposition and means toconvey the filled containers as released from the carrier.

5. In a packaging machine the combination of a frame, a conveyer mountedon the frame and including a series of open ended receptacles, means todrive the conveyer intermittently, fixed guards on the frame at oppositesides of the eonveyer to close the open ends of the receptacles during aportion of their travel, a reciprocable ejector on the frame at one sideof the conveyer and adapted to enter each receptacle after it has passedthe guards and to move the materials therein through the opposite openend thereof, a carrier mounted on the frame for successively disposingempty containers adjacent the said opposite open ends of the receptaclesrespectively, means to open the mouth of each container as it reachessaid receptacle, means to insert the empty co11- tainers into thecarrier successively, and a :onveyer, the carrier being adapted to deposit the filled containers-upon the latter 10 conveyer. In Witnesswhereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of May, 1926.

HARVEY MULLENDORE.

